Rotary file



F. H. SALTZ Sept. 4, 1945.

ROTARY FILE 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 8, 1943 INVENTOR.

)ITTOR NE Vs F. H. SALTZ ROTARY FILE Sept. 4, 1945.

Filed July 8, 1943 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INTOR.

ATTORNEYS- P 1945-- F. H. SALTZ 2,

ROTARY FILE INVEN TOR. J? .J'aliz BY Z ATTORNEYS.

Patented Sept. 4, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 7 Claims.

This invention relates to a rotary file, one of the objects being to provide a cabinet in which an annular series .of file sections is mounted for rotation whereby any one of the sections can be brought readily into position for use at a point where the user has convenient access to the cards carried by a selected section.

A further object is to provide a file each section of which is of new and novel construction whereby the cards thereon 'can be brought either to horizontal or to upstanding positions without disconnecting them from the means engaged thereby.

A still further object is to provide a file section' the parts of which can be assembled and disconnected readily but will not readily get out of order.

A still further object is to provide a file section having parallel rods cooperating with a supporting plate, the rods and plate being so shaped as to permit engaged cards to move either to horizontal or upstanding positions therealong.

A still further object is to employ in connection with each file section cards so constructed that they can be placed on or removed from the rods and can be positioned with either end projecting a predetermined distance beyond the corresponding ends of other cards in the same section.

A still further object is to provide a new and novel construction of file and cards applied therewith whereby a rotary perpetual inventory can be maintained for the purpose of following the movement of merchandise, and for other purposes where filing cards are used in considerable quantities.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claims, it being understood that changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit of the invention as'claimed.

In the accompany drawings the preferred form of the invention has been shown.

In said drawings Figure 1 is a top plan view of the file constituting the present invention.

Figure 2 is a front elevation thereof.

Figure 3 is an enlarged vertical section on the line 3-3, Fig. 2, only one of the file sections being shown.

Figure 4 is a section on line 4-4, Figure 3, said section being on an enlarged scale.

Figure 5 is an enlarged vertical section showing one of the file sections in side elevation.

Figure 6 is a vertical section through a portion of the file taken on line 66, Fig. 5, one of the file sections and the cards thereon being shown in elevation.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference, I designates a housing preferably cylindrical and provided at the center of the top thereof with a raised portion or dome 2 in which is housed a bearing 3. A portion of the top of the housing is cut away, as at 4 and the front wall of the housing is similarly cut away under the opening 4 so a to provide an upper work recess or opening 5 and a lower recess or kneehole 6. This knee-hole is closed at the sides and back as shown at I and 8 respectively.

'A shaft 9 is journalled at its upper end in the bearing 3 and at its lower end in another bearing II] mounted on the base frame I I of the housing. This shaft is concentric with the housin and is provided with an elongated sleeve I2 held thereto by a set-screw I3 and adapted to rotate therewith. To this sleeve are secured radial arms I4 the outer ends of which are joined to an inner ring I5 concentric with the sleeve and which, in turn, is braced and reenforced by strips I6 extending downwardly and inwardly from the ring and welded or otherwise connected to the sleeve as shown. Thus ring I5 is held rigidly centered relative to the sleeve and will rotate therewith. Additional radial arms II connect ring I5 to an outer ring I8 and mounted on these arms I1 and flush with the top of the ring It is a circular plate I9 at the inner end of which is an upstanding cylindrical portion 20. This cylindrical portion is reenforced at the top by a stiffening ring 2|.

Plate I9 provides a desk top which is circular and ring I8 forming the outer edge of this desk top is adapted to travel close to the'inner surface of the wall of housing I. A guard rail 22 which is parallel with the adjacent portion of the ring I8 bridges the opening in the wall of the housing and has its top surface flush with the corresponding surface of ring I8 and plate I9.

The file sections are arranged radially on the plate I9. Each of these sections includes a broad flat strip v23 resting on plate I9 and having an upwardly extended portion 24 which merges, along curved lines at 25, into a horizontal or upper portion 26. From the back of this horizontal or up? per portion is extended an upwardly projecting wing or terminal 21 the upper end of which is removably seated in an inverted hook 28 attached to the upper portion of cylinder 20. A pair ofv are held by removable cotter-pins 3! or the like,

there being a stop-pin or shoulder 32 on each.

rod so that the portion 21 will be held between this stopand the pin 3| as shown for example in Fig. 5. Thus the rods 23 will be held against accidental displacement relative to the strip 23 and the upwardly and backwardly extending portions of the strip.

A pair of openings 33 are provided in the plate IQ for each of the file units and these openings are located where the forwardly and downwardly bent ends 30 of the rod can be inserted downwardly into them. Thereafter the file section is swung downwardly and moved forwardly relative to plate l9 and the upwardly extending portion 21 is sprung under the hook 28. Thus the unit is held assembled with the plate I! and drum 20. Any desired number of these units may be radially disposed on the plate l3, depending upon the capacity of the file. All of the units are so located, however, that any one of them can be brought readily into position at the opening 5 so that the user of the file can have quick and convenient access to any card on any one of the file sections.

The cards used in connection with the file sections are preferably of the type illustrated in Fig. 6 wherein each card C is provided along one edge with five regularly spaced openings 0 each having a slit S leading therefrom to the edge of the card, the outer end of the slit being flared as shown at S. These openings are so spaced that the distance between ultimate openings is equal to the distance between the rods 29 of the file section or unit. Thus the cards can be placed on the rods in staggered relation, some cards being extended greater distances to the right than others, other cards being extended greater distances to the left than others and some of the cards being centered. Thus the cards can be positioned for indicating various conditions or classifications. All of the cards on the rods can be slid downwardly into heriaontalpositions on strip 23 as shown at the left of Fig. 5 or they can be slid upwardly along the rods into upstanding positions against the portion 21' of the unit. Any card can readily be removed simphr by pulling it forcibly off of the rod and a card can likewise be easily placed on the rod because of the use of the flared portion F of the slit 8.

Guard rail 22 and plate 19 are located at the standard desk top level so that the user of the file can be seated at the knee-hole 6, thus bringing the forward or exposed file sections or units above the lap of the user.

. the rods, said top plate being movable over the Any one of the unts can be removed readily rtuting means for engaging and guiding index cards, and a strip connecting the rods at their ends and having portions spaced from but parallel with knee-hole recess to bring any selected file section into position within the work recess.

2. A file including a housing having an opening in the front wall thereof, a rotary structure within the housing including a top plate and a cylinder extending upwardly from the top plate, said top plate extending close to and across the opening in the front wall of the housing and dividing the interior of the housing adjacent to the opening into an upper work recess and a lower kneehole recess, and a plurality of file sections mounted on the top plate and extending radially from the cylinder, each of said sections including parallel upwardly extended rods merging into portions extending backwardly toward the cylinder. said rods constituting means for engaging and guiding index cards, a strip connecting the rods at their ends and having portions spaced from but parallel with the rods, said rods having projecting lower end portions, there being apertures in the top plate for the reception of said end portions, and means on the cylinder for detachably engaging one end portion of the strip, said top plate being movable over the knee-hole recess to bring any selected file section into position within the work recess.

3. A file including a housing having an opening in the front wall thereof, a rotatable element within the housing including a top extending across the opening and dividing the interior of the front portion of the housing into an upper work recess and a lower knee-hole recess, a cylinder upstanding from the top and concentric therewith, and a plurality of file sections mounted on the top and radiating from the cylinder, each of said sections including a single strip of material bent to provide a bottom, an upstanding portion, a horizontally extending portion, and an upwardly extending terminal, means on the cylinder for detachable engagement by said terminal, rods secured to said terminal portion and extending along lines parallel with the upwardly and horizontally extending portions of the strip, said rods having ends extending through the bottom of the strip, there being openings in the top for receiving said ends, the said rods constituting means for engaging and guiding index cards and cooperating with the strip to support the cards in either horizontal positions on the bottom portion of the strip or in upstanding positions on the upper portion of the strip said top being movable over the kneehole to bring any selected file section into position withinthe work recess.

4. A file including a housing having an opening in the front wall thereof, a rotatable structure in the housing extending across the opening, said structure including a top and a concentric upwardly extended cylinder, said top extending close to and across the opening in the front wall of the housing and dividing the interior ofthe housing adjacent to the opening into an upper work recess and a lower knee-hole recess, and a plurality of radially disposed file sections or units mounted on the top, each including a single length of sheet material bent to provide a bottom, an upstanding portion, a horizontally extending portion and an upwardly extended terminal, means on the cylinder for engaging the respective terminals to hold them detachably against the cylinder, rods anchored detachably in the terminal portions of the strips and extended along lines parallel with the upstanding and horizontal portions of the strips, said rods being spaced from the strips and having hooked ends projecting downwardly beyond the bottom portions of the strips, there being openings in the top for the reception of the hooked ends, said hooked ends and the terminal-engaging means cooperating to hold each section detachably in position on the top and relative to the cylinder,

said top being movable over the knee-hole to bring.

any selected file section into position within the work recess.

5. In a file, the combination with a stationary housing having an opening in the front wall thereof, of a desk including a rotatable top mounted within the housing and exposed through and across the opening, said top dividing that portion of the interior of the housing adjacent to the front opening into an upper work recess and a lower knee-hole-recess, and an annular series of card-holding units radially disposed upon the desk top and movable therewith into the work recess for successive exposure through the opening in the housing.

6. In a file the combination with an apertured desk top, or a filing unit including a single length of sheet material bent to provide an apertured bottom removably mounted on said top, an upstanding portion, a horizontal portion merging into the upstanding portion along curved lines, and an upwardly extending apertured terminal portion, parallel rods extending through the apertures in said bottom portion and the apertured desk and providing terminal hooks extending under said bottom portion and desk constituting means for holding them together, and means for detachably anchoring the rods in the apertures of the apertured terminal portion, said rods being spaced from the strip and cooperating therewith to stiffen the strip and detachably engage and support index cards.

7. In a file the combination with an apertured desk top and a retaining element above and fixed relative to the desk top, of a filing unit including a single length of sheet material bent to provide an apertured bottom removably mounted on said top, an upstanding portion, a substantially horizontal portion merging along curved lines into the upstanding portion, and an upwardly extended apertured terminal portion removably engaging said retaining element, parallel card-holding rods removably seated in the apertures in the bottom and terminal portions, and spaced from the upwardly extending and horizontal portions, hooks on the rods extending through and under the desk top and constituting means for holding the desk top and apertured bottom detachably connected, and means for detachably connecting the rods to the upstanding portion.

FRANK H. SALTZ. 

